THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister K N Balagopal will present the final budget of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government on Thursday. With only a few months left for the assembly elections, populist announcements are expected in the budget.
Speculation is rife that the government will further raise the social security pensions. Government employees expect a favourable decision on the pending dearness allowance arrears. As the LDF government aims for a hat-trick, there will be sufficient allocations to ensure continuity for its flagship programmes like the LIFE and Ardram Missions.
Research and development funding and age-friendly initiatives will be other priority areas.
The 2026-27 budget is set to be historic as it will be the first time the budget size crosses the Rs 2 trillion milestone. The budget presentation will begin at 9am. Balagopal will address the media later.
‘Rules & decorum don’t permit public replies to such a letter’
Stating that the rules and decorum did not permit a press conference to reply to such a letter, the Lok Bhavan said the governor had, at all times, adhered to constitutional propriety, institutional dignity, and established conventions in communications with the legislature.
“Public insinuations questioning these principles, without verification of facts, are regrettable and undermine the decorum of high constitutional offices,” the Lok Bhavan said. Future discourse on such sensitive matters should be guided by facts and propriety rather than conjecture, it added.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Shamseer termed it ‘ironical’ that the governor’s confidential letter reached the media before him, and said he would not respond to it. If the governor’s office wanted a reply, he said, the letter must be sent to him first, and not a ‘copy’ after it’s shared with the media.
Earlier, the governor had written to Shamseer seeking an explanation on what he termed as “unauthorised” amendments made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to his policy address.
Sources close to the governor said he would also direct the speaker to ensure that amendments made by the CM were removed from the assembly records.